U.S. patent number 4,529,191 [Application Number 06/473,081] was granted by the patent office on 1985-07-16 for doorway mounted horizontal bar.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Gravity Guidance, Inc.. Invention is credited to Stephen T. Blosser, Jack V. Miller.
United States Patent |
4,529,191 |
Miller , et al. |
July 16, 1985 |
Doorway mounted horizontal bar
Abstract
The horizontal bar includes tubular members freely
telescopically interconnected having lateral extending ends
depending to outward facing U-shaped members having sufficient
width to be disposed about the respective sides of a doorway, and
to have frictional engagement therewith. A pivotal link is attached
to the base of each U-shaped member and is slidably engaged with a
respective wedge-shaped receiving bracket at each side of the
doorway. The pivotal links may be engaged with the respective
receiving brackets in a depending orientation for a lower position
of the horizontal bar or may be engaged with the brackets in an
upstanding orientation for a higher position of the horizontal
bar.
Inventors: |
Miller; Jack V. (Sierra Madre,
CA), Blosser; Stephen T. (Monrovia, CA) |
Assignee: |
Gravity Guidance, Inc. (Duarte,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
23878113 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/473,081 |
Filed: |
March 7, 1983 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/40;
211/123 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
1/00 (20130101); A63B 21/1627 (20130101); A63B
2210/50 (20130101); A63B 23/1218 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
21/16 (20060101); A63B 1/00 (20060101); A63B
21/00 (20060101); A63B 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/112,900,63,62,93,109 ;211/105.1,105.2,123 ;D21/191 ;108/149
;128/71 ;248/201,225.1,216.4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Apley; Richard J.
Assistant Examiner: Crow; S. R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley, McKee, Thomte, Voorhees
& Sease
Claims
We claim:
1. A doorway mounted horizontal bar comprising:
a first member horizontally oriented near the lintel of a doorway
and having laterally extending free ends,
a depending member extending generally downwards from each end of
said first member and terminating in respective outward-facing
U-shaped members said U-shaped members each having a pair of spaced
apart legs and an interconnecting web, said legs of each U-shaped
member being disposed on opposite sides of said doorway with said
interconnecting web being in close proximity to the respective side
of said doorway;
a bracket attachable to the doorway sides in close proximity to
each respective U-shaped member; and
a pivotal attachment means joining each bracket to the respective
U-shaped member and providing vertical support for the U-shaped
members when said U-shaped members are engaged about the respective
doorway sides.
2. The structure of claim 1 in which each of the telescoping tube
members is a single piece of tubing contiguously from the
telescoping tube through the depending member and including the
U-shaped member.
3. The structure of claim 1 in which the doorway side brackets have
part-receiving recesses and the pivotal attachment means are
provided with parts slidably engaged into said recesses.
4. The structure of claim 3 in which the recesses are wedge-shaped
receivers and the pivotal attachment parts engaged therein are
generally circular discs.
5. The structure of claim 1 in which the U-shaped members are
provided with resilient pads at the points of contact with the
sides of the doorway.
6. The structure of claim 1 in which the pivotal attachment means
joining each doorway side bracket to the respective U-shaped member
is an elongated link capable of pivotal movement both at the
doorway side bracket and the respective U-shaped member.
7. The structure of claim 6 in which the elongated links are
pivotal about their attachment points to the U-shaped brackets from
an upstanding orientation to a depending orientation and are
engageable with the respective doorway side brackets in either
orientation.
8. The structure of claim 7 in which the doorway side brackets are
in fixed height location and the height of the horizontal bar is
changed by moving the pivotal links from upstanding to depending
orientation.
9. The structure of claim 1 in which the legs of the U-shaped
members are provided with a friction increasing surface at least at
the points of contact with the doorway frame.
10. The structure of claim 1 wherein said first member includes a
pair of freely slidable telescoping tube members.
11. The structure of claim 1 wherein said legs of each U-shaped
member engage opposite sides of said doorway whereby downward force
on said first member exerts rotational moments on said U-shaped
members so as to cause said legs of each U-shaped member to clamp
inwardly on the wall surface on each side of the doorway thereby
creating a frictional lock of the structure within said doorway.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A chinning bar or horizontal bar for hanging either by the hands or
the feet is needed that may be easily removed and safely installed
in permanently installed small brackets; and that may be positioned
at several heights above the floor, at least one of the heights
being above the level of the door lintel, and is positioned in a
spaced relationship from the doorway whereby the user may hang from
the bar without danger of striking the doorway lintel. The bar
should be quickly and easily installed and positioned for height,
and should automatically adjust to fit various doorway widths.
Doorway mounted horizontal bars are presently known, as shown and
described in a co-pending application, Ser. No. 376,513, now U.S.
Pat. No. 4,405,127, and free-standing horizontal bars are well
known as described for exercise and medical treatment by Martin,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,447 as traction apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The horizontal bar is freely telescopically and longitudinally
movable such that it will adapt to any doorway width by merely
extending or contracting the bar. At both ends of the horizontal
bar depending portions extend generally downwards to outward-facing
U-shaped members and engaging with the sides of the doorway and
having frictional contact therewith. The base of each U is
generally horizontal and normal to the vertical plane of the
horizontal bar, and the outward-facing legs of each U are parallel
to the horizontal bar. A pivoting link is attached the the base of
each U and is rotatable between depending and upstanding
orientations. The distal end of each pivoting link is provided with
a flat disc which is engaged with a respective receiving bracket
attached to the side of the doorway. Each receiving bracket is
provided with a wedge-shaped internal cavity so shaped and sized as
to receive and retain the pivoting link disc downwardly wedged
therein, and to release the pivoting link disc upon the application
of sufficient upwards force.
The doorway mounted horizontal bar is installed in the doorway by
first attaching a receiving blanket to each side of the
inward-facing surfaces of the doorway, with the larger ends of the
brackets facing upwards. The horizontal bar is telescopically
collapsed to its shortest length and placed within the doorway. The
telescoped bar is then extended with the outward-facing U-shaped
members engaging the respective sides of the doorway. The discs of
the pivoting links are engaged into the respective wedge-shaped
cavities of the receiving brackets.
As a load is applied to the horizontal bar it moves downwards
slightly and tightens the pivoting link discs into the wedge-shaped
cavities of the receiving brackets, permitting the pivoting links
to pivotally support the bases of the U-shaped members engaged with
the sides of the doorway. Downward forces on the horizontal bar
apply rotational moments to the U-shaped members and causing the
legs of each U to clamp inwards on the wall surfaces of each side
of the doorway and create a frictional lock within the doorway at
the termination of the downward motion of the horizontal bar. Any
additional loads having downwards components that may be applied to
the horizontal bar through hanging, chinning or other exercises
will serve to increase the wedging of the discs of the pivoting
links into the respective brackets, and additionally will generate
further friction between the U-shaped members and the doorway,
whereby the apparatus becomes increasingly secure with additional
applied loads.
In order to remove the apparatus from the doorway the horizontal
bar is lifted slightly to release the frictional clamping on the
doorway. Then an upward force applied to each U-shaped member will
release the pivoting link disc from each respective receiving
bracket whereby the horizontal bar may be telescoped out of
engagement with the doorway sides and removed.
During installation the pivoting links may be oriented upstanding
from the base of the U members, whereby the links are supported
depending from the receiving brackets and the horizontal bar is
positioned in a relatively low height above the floor. If desired
the pivoting links may be oriented depending from the base of the U
members, whereby the links are supported upstanding from the
receiving brackets and the horizontal bar is positioned in a
relatively high location above the floor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the horizontal bar mounted in a
doorway;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the horizontal bar of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the horizontal bar mounted in a
doorway;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is a force diagram showing the loads applied in the
apparatus of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is an alternate orientation of the horizontal bar providing
a higher elevation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The horizontal bar of this invention is referred to generally as 1
in FIG. 1 and is shown installed within a doorway 2 having sides 3
and 4 and a lintel 5. Bar 1 comprises generally two halves a right
half 6 including tubular bar 7, and a left half 8 including a
telescoping bar 9 slidably disposed within tubular bar 7. Side 3 of
doorway 2 is provided with a receiving bracket 10 and side 4 of
doorway 2 is provided with a receiving bracket 11.
In FIG. 2 the horizontal bar 1 is shown with telescoping bar 9 of
right half 8 slidably disposed within tubular bar 7 of left half 6,
thereby providing a variable width to accomodate most doorways. The
left half 6 has a depending portion 16 which terminates in a
U-shaped member 17. U-shaped member 17 comprises a base 18, a front
leg 19 and a rear leg 20. A resilient pad 21 envelopes leg 19 and a
resilient pad 22 envelopes leg 20 to prevent marring of the door
frame under load. A link 26 is pivotally attached to base 18 and is
provided with a disc 27 at its distal end. Similarly the right half
8 has a depending portion 16a which terminates in a U-shaped member
17a. U-shaped member 17a comprises a base 18a, a front leg 19a and
a rear leg 20a. A resilient pad 21a envelopes leg 19a and a
resilient pad 22a envelopes leg 20a to prevent marring of the door
frame under load. A link 26a is pivotally attached to base 18a and
is provided with a disc 27a at its distal end. Disc 27 of the right
half 6 slides vertically down into the receiving bracket 10, which
is attachable to a door frame with screws 30. Similarly disc 27a of
the left half 8 also slides vertically down into the receiving
bracket 11, which is attachable to a door frame with screws 30.
In FIG. 3 the horizontal bar 1 is shown having the left half 6 and
the right half 8 extended slidably to fit between sides 3 and 4 of
doorway 2, with the horizontal bar parallel to the doorway lintel
5. Disc 27 of pivoting link 26 is engaged into receiving bracket
10, which is in turn fastened to doorway side 3 with a number of
screws 30. Similarly, disc 27a of pivoting link 26a is engaged into
receiving bracket 11, which is in turn fastened to doorway side 4
with a number of screws 30.
In FIG. 4 the horizontal bar 1 is shown having the telescoping bar
9 of right half 8 disposed within the tubular bar 7 of left half 6.
Depending portion 16a is contiguous with front leg 19a, disposed
within resilient pad 21a; the front leg 19a being also contiguous
with base 18a, which is in turn contiguous with rear 20a disposed
within resilient pad 22a. Pivoting link 26a is attached to base 18a
with a fastener 32, and disc 27a of link 26a is slidably disposed
within the wedge-shaped receiver bracket 11.
In FIG. 5 the use of the bar provides a hanging weight force
F.sub.1 which generates an moment M.sub.1 applied at radius
R.sub.1. This in turn applies a moment M.sub.2 at radius R.sub.2
about pivot point P, which is supported with force F.sub.4 from the
suspension point S. Moment M.sub.3 is also created about point P at
radius R.sub.3, also applying force F.sub.3. Since the pivoting
link 26a is hinged at both point P and point S, point P will move
to the location where force F.sub.2 equal force F.sub.3. The
resilient pad 21a has force F.sub.2 applied, so the supporting
force provided by the doorway side 4 is F.sub.2 (Cf) where Cf is
the frictional coefficient between pad 21a and doorway side 4.
Therefore the load F.sub.1 is supported by the combination of
F.sub.2 and F.sub.4, and any increase in the load F.sub.1 will
result in a proportional increase in supporting load F.sub.2. The
load diagram described is for the right hand side of the apparatus,
and a mirror image of the load conditions will also exist for the
left hand side.
In FIG. 6 the horizontal bar 1 may be seen installed with the
pivoting link 26a depending from base 18a, with disc 27a engaged in
wedge-shaped receiver bracket 11, whereby fastener 32 supporting
base 18a provides a higher elevation for the horizontal bar than
that shown in FIG. 4.
Thus it may be seen that the horizontal bar according to the
invention will provide an extremely secure mounting that is
self-clamping and is adjustable in elevation for users of various
heights. The bar is automatically adjusting for a range of doorway
widths, and will further self-adjust to match various door frame
thickness.
In FIG. 6 and preceding figures rear leg 20a is seen to have a flat
configuration which is generally co-planar with the surface of the
doorway side 4. This permits leg 20a and the enveloping pad 22a to
pass between the door frame and an open hinged door to provide the
necessary support for the clamping action with broad contact eares
that preclude damage to a door frame during vigorous exercise on
the horizontal bar.
* * * * *